Smile
by PrincessJaded
Summary: And even if he started out crabby and down because he lost one game… that doesn’t mean he’s lost it all. I’m still here. One-shot.


_DISCLAIMER: PrincessJaded does not own Digimon. Special thanks to Potgenie for the beta. Dedicated to my Onii-chan. :)_**

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**Smile**

I open the door or, to put it more aptly, throw it open. It actually slams against the wall and yet all he does is ignore me.

"Taichi…"

He's sitting there in the dark, thinking. He is in shock, yes I know. He's really lost in his thoughts. This may very well be the first time that I'm worried. No, it's not for our lives. That would be over exaggerating a simple situation. Things are different now. This time I'm a little worried because my brother is so absorbed, so cut off from the real world and physically here, but not really so.

"I'm sorry."

He's being ridiculous, and not in his normal way. He's not acting like himself. I wonder how long he's going to continue to act like a deaf mute. It really doesn't matter. He just needs to understand a few things, the most important being the fact that he didn't do anything wrong. He tried. That's enough, for me anyway. I'm proud of him for trying.

"Taichi…"

Apparently my apology, though I'm not the cause of this… grief, isn't enough for him. He's still sitting there. Still sulking. Still reliving something he can't change. I don't think he knows I'm here. I've been standing in the doorway to our room, waiting for him to at least look at me. That's the very least he could do! But he doesn't. He hasn't. I'm starting to think he won't.

"Taichi, you'll do better next time."

Who knows if there will even be a next time, we can only hope. We can push him… but there comes a time that if you push too hard, the thing you're trying to move pushes back. And that's where I'm at right now. I want him to push back. I want him to wake up from this silly dream and react.

"It'll get better."

He finally turns to look at me and it's the face that he makes that tells me he wants me to stop talking. I haven't even said much but he won't stop glaring. It's the way his eyes narrow, the way his eyebrows furrow, and the crease in his forehead… he's telling me off inside his head. I smile because it's all I can do.

"And he lives."

The glower gets more intense. Nevertheless, I can see beneath it. He's really beat up over this. Maybe it's a guy thing… or just a general pride thing. Whatever the reason, I know the cause. I know that he just can't let go of it and he can't accept that even though he has tried his hardest, the result wasn't something he really liked.

"It was only a game, Taichi. You'll get them next time. I have faith in you. I'll be there to cheer you on. Plus... I'm your number one fan, Onii-chan."

I saw it. His lips turned up at the corners and his eyes sparkled slightly. He holds out his arms, a gesture that means he wants a hug. What a dork! My dorky brother wants a hug. An "aww" moment if you ask me. I comply, taking a seat beside him on his bed and wrapping my arms around his torso. He throws his arm over my shoulders and tugs hard at a loose strand of my hair.

"You're a jerk."

"I love you too, Imouto," he chuckles.

And when I look up at him, it's there again. The smile. Bigger this time than the last. I've won him over, like I have many times before and even if he started out crabby and down because he lost one game… that doesn't mean he's lost it all. I'm still here.

And I'll do _almost_ anything to see him smile.

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_A/n: May 24, 2009 (2:35 AM)_

_This is probably the most, uh, different (I guess) thing I've ever written. It was only 633 words and didn't take me very long but it means a great deal to me._

_I personally love the relationship between Taichi and Hikari. I always thought they were like the poster of what siblings should be. I only have an older sister, and she's a pain in the butt. But I've taken on an... adopted brother whom I love to bits and pieces. _

_And I hope it really did make him smile._

_Review if you'd like. I'd appreciate it._

_Toodles,  
Diane_


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